The Quaker Prison Experiment

The Quaker experiment at Eastern State Penitentiary was meant to be a sanctuary for the soul, a place to reform criminals through silence and reflection. Instead, it accidentally engineered a form of psychological torture: solitary confinement. This episode uncovers the complicated history of this "Great Experiment" and then journeys to the offices of AFSC Prison Watch, where a new generation of Quaker activists are confronting this legacy by listening to the raw, firsthand accounts of people who have survived the modern system.  ---------------------------------------------Westtown School, a leading Quaker day school for Pre-K to 12th grade is hosting Open Houses this Fall. Upper School, Saturday, October 25th, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Middle School, Thursday, October 30th, 9:00 to 11:30 a.m.Lower School, Wednesday, November 5th, 9:30 to 11:30 a.m.Learn more at www.westtown.edu/fall. Become a monthly supporter! Sign up for the Daily Quaker Message.